Garance Doré on Effortless, French Style

As far as living the fabulous French life goes, Garance Doré has got it down pat. The photographer-cum-illustrator-cum-writer’s effortlessly cool style is balanced by a palpable joie de vivre that many a street-style fledgling can only aspire to. And yet despite her tres chic demeanor, Doré explains the main tenant behind existing like a fashionable Francophile is to adopt a more laissez-faire attitude toward life, especially when it comes to style . . . and hair color.

“Beauty rituals are a little more intimate with French women,” she reveals to VF Daily. “I think we like to be more in control and we feel you don’t need to spend the time to put yourself in the hands of someone else to get a good result, particularly when coloring your hair. French women do our hair color ourselves at home.”

She, of course, name-drops her recent collaboration with L’Oreal Paris on its new Preference Mousse Absolue hair color system, but Doré is adamant that she’s been of a fan of the brand for years. “I’ve always used Superior Preference when coloring my hair, but when this new product first came out in Paris last year, I immediately rushed out to get it.”

Preference Mousse Absolue is the first automatic and re-usable hair color that’s, dare we say, quite the revolutionary product. After 10 years in the making, L’Oreal Paris has devised a canister with dual chambers that seamlessly combines the color dyes and color developer together at the push of a button. And since the formulas are preserved in airtight tubes, you can stash the device away and re-use it as needed. “I’m a pretty messy person, so there was always all this sloppiness and a strong smell when I’d do my own color,” Doré says. “This no-mix system is exactly what I need.”

But a more low-maintenance attitude isn’t the only detail that separates the French from Americans. Doré says the other secret to demystifying their inexplicable je ne sais quoi is knowing what works best for you. “I think another key is really accepting who you are and making the best of what you have. So for our style, for example, our moms always tell us to pick what fits you well, pick what makes your body look good, and just stick to it.”

For Doré, that means an allegiance to white denim for day and ivory Manolo Blahnik BB pumps at night. “I love the classics with a twist that are comfortable,” she explains. “I’ve only had these Manolos for maybe six months, but I think I’m going to end up with all the colors they make one of these days.”

As for other women who are nailing the cool French girl look, Doré rattles off a whole index of names: Emmanuelle Alt, Caroline de Maigret, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Carine Roitfeld. To be sure, she clarifies, she’s inspired by a woman’s demeanor more than her clothing. “I’m attracted to a shyness. It can be a beautiful confidence. It could be a sense of youth. It can be really anything as long as it’s a little different,” she says.

And it’s that same tangible spirit that she looks for when it comes to capturing women for her photography, too. “I remember shooting a lot of women in jeans and T-shirts in the beginning, but I think what’s inspiring is the way they carried themselves. It’s more about noticing a special moment in time than trying to illustrate a trend.”

Still, she’s not immune to diagnosing trends or growing aversions toward some, either. “Talk to me in a few months when it’s the middle of summer, and I’m sure I won’t be able to stand seeing crop tops by then,” she giggles. “I’m always very surprised how very—how would you say—‘lightly’ the women dress in New York. Sometimes I’m like, Wow! Not a lot of material there! Those are very short shorts! That’s a very cropped top!”

But in the end, Doré says it’s those very dissimilarities that she in fact adores. “The relationship American women have with fashion is so much more playful and fun, and I think it’s as interesting as French style. I don’t think the French style is better,” she stresses. “I really think the richness of both styles is in those differences that we both have.”